The Demon Rises
by Rose Starre
Summary: Everyone knows Finn Bálor's alter ego is the Demon King. For them, it's just a shtick for when he needs an extra coolness factor for his entrance. However, no one could have known that the Demon is a very real part of Finn's life. With the Blood Moon looming on the horizon, this is suddenly about to change.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this story or otherwise. Also, although I am very aware that AJ Styles is on SmackDown Live – making his presence here somewhat out-of-place – I will be ignoring this fact for this story.**

It was all so familiar. The mischievous glint in his blue eyes as he playfully teased his friends, followed as always by his easy-going laughter. The lilt in his voice that only got stronger the more excited he got. That brilliant smile he flashed to every fan that stopped them for autographs. That characteristic stiff posture he adopted for almost every photo. None of it had changed for the many years they had known him. And no one expected it to ever change. Finn was Finn, and that was that.

That must have been why that night had seemed so strange right from the start. All at once, Finn was none of what everyone had gotten used to. AJ Styles noticed right away. "Hey, man, what's up?" he asked as he and Finn piled into the car behind Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

"What do you mean?" Finn retorted, nonchalantly shrugging. "I'm fine." He buckled himself into his seat, then immediately turned back to the window and stared outside without another word.

Brushing aside his nagging worry, AJ decided it would be best to leave the Irishman to his brooding. _After all_ , he reasoned, _everyone's entitled to a bit of alone time every now and again_. He too watched the scenery scrolling past his window, until Luke and Karl's loud conversation in the front of the car caught his attention. Just like that, Finn's strange behavior was forgotten.

Later on that night, the small group of friends had checked into their hotel and finally settled down for bed. As was their typical custom, AJ and Finn shared a room while Luke and Karl slept in the adjoining one. Finn curled up in the bed farthest from the door almost immediately, not bothering to shower or even change.

"That tired, huh?" AJ joked, rifling around in his luggage for his toothbrush. When his friend failed to answer, he looked up and found that Finn had turned his back to him. "Sorry, man," he stated, despite not fully understanding what he was apologizing for. "I'll, uh, leave you to it then." With that, he made the short journey to the bathroom and commenced his evening routine.

A few hours later, long after AJ had drifted off into dream-land, he was awoken by a strange sound coming from the other side of the room. "Finn? That you?" he slurred, only half awake. He rubbed his eyes and probed around the bedside table for a light switch. He found what he was looking for and turned the lamp on. What he saw in front of him both confused and mildly startled him.

Finn was no longer wearing a shirt and was hunched over the desk in the corner. His paints were sprawled out in front of him, several of which were open. He turned slightly in response to the sudden light, which allowed his friend to better see what he was doing. He had splattered black and red paint across his chest and shoulders and had sloppily applied more of the same to his face. His eyes locked with AJ's and he slowly reached up and dragged his hand along the side of his face, his fingers leaving white streaks in their wake. Neither man spoke.

AJ could feel Finn's gaze on him the entire way to the door connecting their room with Luke and Karl's. He hurried to shut the door behind him, slamming it louder than he had intended. Luke opened one eye and glared at him through the darkness. "What's your damn problem, AJ?" he growled. "It's three in the morning."

"It's Finn, Luke," AJ shot back in a loud whisper, inching away from the door. "He's actin' weird."

"What's new?" Luke grunted, running a hand down his face. "I always told him all that face paint would get to his head." Karl snickered from the other bed.

"No, no, not, like, Finn weird," AJ insisted, glancing back toward his room. "I'm talkin' creepy weird. He's… He's paintin' himself in the dark."

"So?" Luke mumbled, closing his eyes again. "Guy needs his practice."

"In the dark, man?" AJ retorted. He threw his hands up. "Look, he's been off all night. I don't know what's up with him."

"I think you're looking too far into this, AJ," Karl piped up, waving one hand dismissively. "He was just probably tired earlier. And he just didn't want to wake you up just now. That's all."

"That's not it," AJ stated, again dropping his voice to a harsh whisper. "His eyes, man. They're… different."

"Just go back to sleep," Karl yawned. "I'm sure he's fine."

AJ hesitated a few more moments before creeping back through the door. The lamp was still on, enabling him to see Finn, now peacefully asleep in his own bed. There wasn't a trace of paint on him. "Maybe they're right," AJ muttered to himself, cautiously lowering himself back into his bed. "You're just seein' things, AJ." He flicked the light off again and returned to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

The following morning, the group piled back into the car to continue their drive toward Houston, Texas. Only a few miles in, Karl whined, "Luke, I'm starving! When can we stop for food?"

"You literally just ate at the hotel," Luke sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "How the hell are you hungry again?"

"There was hardly anything good there," Karl retorted, folding his arms and shooting Luke a glare. "You know how it is."

"We're not stopping," Luke stated as a means to try and end the conversation.

"But I'm hungry still!" Karl cried, throwing his hands up. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You're a grown-ass man, Karl. Suck it up," Luke growled.

Finn audibly whimpered from the back seat. "You good, dude?" Karl asked, turning around in his seat as best as he could.

"Yes, yes, fine," Finn hissed through clenched teeth. He forced a smile. "Nothing to worry about here."

"You sure?" Karl continued. He gestured vaguely in AJ's direction. "He's pretty worried about you. But, I guess you know how he gets." AJ glared playfully at him.

Finn laughed, but it seemed almost hollow. "Yeah," he sighed, turning to AJ. "Don't worry about it. I've just been tired lately."

"I guess we've all been," AJ muttered half to himself, dropping his gaze momentarily to his hands.

Karl shot AJ a glance. "Told you," he stated, turning back around. A few seconds later, he exclaimed, "Oh, look! Wendy's!" Luke groaned.

About two hours later, Finn had drifted off again and Karl was wavering on the edge of consciousness. "I can drive for a bit if you want me to," AJ offered.

Luke shook his head. "I've been doing some thinking since last night," he said, "And I think you're right. Finn has been kinda off lately."

"What does this have to do with driving?" AJ enquired, tipping his head slightly to one side.

"He trusts you more than he trusts either of us," Luke stated with a shrug. "If he does start having some kind of episode or something, I think he'd want you back there with him instead of me."

"That can't be true," AJ insisted, shaking his head. "If you ask him-"

"Exactly. If you ask _him_ ," Luke interrupted. "He's too nice to admit it himself."

AJ sighed in defeat, glancing over at the sleeping Irishman. For the first time since the previous night, he looked completely relaxed and at ease. AJ suddenly realized Finn had been doing an awful lot of wincing recently and only seemed perfectly fine when asleep. _That can't be good_ , he thought.

"You think he's getting sick or something?" Luke asked, cutting into AJ's thoughts.

"I don't know," AJ answered truthfully. "I mean, he seems okay right now."

"There's something he's not telling us," Luke decided, sighing and shaking his head again. "Damn it all if we don't find out what it is."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

After several long hours driving through the empty plains of Texas, Houston finally came into view. AJ gently nudged Finn awake. "Hey, look,'" he said, pointing out the windshield. "We're almost there."

Finn stared blearily out the front window, notably missing the characteristic excitement he usually exhibited when entering a new city. He scanned the skyline, seemingly sizing up the buildings, then turned back to AJ. "Why'd you wake me up for?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well... Don't you like lookin' at the buildings and such?" AJ enquired, shifting his gaze between Finn and Houston a few times. "You've never been to Houston before, right?"

A bored expression suddenly crossed Finn's face. "I've been everywhere, AJ," he replied with a sigh. He turned back to the window at his side and mumbled to himself, "Everywhere, and yet nowhere all at once."

"Right," AJ stated, pulling out his phone and tapping at the screen. He brought up Luke's contact information and sent him a quick text: "You hear that?"

Luke's phone buzzed loudly in his lap, waking him up from his well-deserved nap. He grumbled to himself as he checked the message and sent another back: "Hear what?"

"Finn said he's been everywhere"

"So?"

"He hasn't"

"So?"

"He's not excited to see Houston"

"And your point is?"

"That's not normal"

"We've established this. Just take a nap or something. You're tired."

"It doesn't take a genius to see there's something wrong here"

"It also doesn't take a genius to see you need to calm down."

"No I don't"

"Just leave the poor guy alone, AJ."

The second Luke tapped 'Send' on the last text, he silenced his phone and set it in the cup-holder next to him. AJ sighed and set his own phone aside, shooting a worried glance at the back of Finn's head. "Hey, Finn," he said, "How about that UK tour we're goin' on in a couple weeks? You excited?"

Barely glancing back at him, Finn replied, "What's the point?"

"Uh… You'll get to see Ireland again," AJ answered, floundering for a response to the unexpected question. "An- And your family. You've missed them for sure, right?" Other than a half-hearted shrug, Finn made no indication of an answer.

Suddenly, Karl cried out, "Avast, ye maties! The port o' Houston be nigh."

"Again with the pirate bit, Karl?" Luke groaned, slapping his forehead. "It's getting old."

"Argh, you need some rum in you," Karl grumbled, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Several minutes later, Karl parked the car in the arena parking lot, despite the fact that the show wasn't scheduled to start for another few hours. "You guys want to walk around a bit?" Karl asked, stepping outside and stretching.

"I want to go back to sleep," Finn mumbled, dragging himself out of the car and rubbing at his eyes.

"But you slept the whole way here," Karl pointed out, grabbing Finn by the arm. "C'mon, we need the exercise!" he declared as he dragged him off.

AJ exited the vehicle, shaking his head. "Karl ain't that oblivious, is he?" he chuckled.

"I wouldn't like to believe so," Luke responded, leaning against the car as he watched the other two jog around the parking lot. "If anything, he's just in denial."

"Kinda like you?" AJ shot back, folding his arms.

"I'm not," Luke declared, shrugging. "I just think you need to relax. You're gonna end up smothering the guy if you don't stop worrying about him like that."

"Well, I know. He just ain't ever like this," AJ explained, shaking his head again.

"Just tone it down," Luke directed as Karl and Finn approached again. He pushed off of the car and waved the other two over. "So, are we gonna go for that walk or not?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Karl exclaimed, starting for the sidewalk. The other three followed close behind.

Not long into the group's walk, they came across a young boy and his mother. The boy practically danced around them with excitement while his mother fumbled with her phone for the picture. "Hey, slow down, little man," Karl laughed. "You wanna be in the picture too, don't you?"

"Sorry," the kid giggled, stopping but still shaking somewhat. "I'm e'cited."

"No worries, kiddo," Karl assured him. "I'd be excited to meet guys as awesome as The Club too." He discreetly nudged Finn and muttered, "C'mon, man, don't look so glum. Where's your famed 'Finn Freeze'?" The Irishman shrugged and complied, although his smile didn't reach quite as far as usual.

The young fan didn't seem to notice however and, as soon as the picture was taken, he bounded over to his mother to see. They then thanked the men profusely and continued on their way.

"What's your problem, man?" Karl enquired once they too had recommenced their walk. "I mean, you're always good with the fans, especially the little ones."

"I don't know," Finn replied, the smile immediately dropping off his face. "I've just been so tired. That's all."

Luke suddenly stopped in front of them, bringing the entire group to a halt. "Maybe we should just hang around the arena for today," he suggested. "Houston's not going anywhere."

"I second that notion," AJ piped up, glancing at Finn for half a second. "We all got matches tonight to prepare for anyway."

"I guess," Karl groaned, turning back. Finn trudged along behind him, looking almost ready to fall asleep on his feet. AJ and Luke shared a concerned glance before following the two back to the arena.


End file.
